Oil-tank fire protection



April 8, 1930. w. D. WHTTEIR OIL TANK FIRE PROTECTION Filed March 29,1926 INVENTOR atented d, ltlilh 'llll'lllhlhlfi l3). W'JIETEE, tillUIlTIGA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, Bl? MESNJE ASSIGNMENTES, ".1 30 Li li.FRANKIE AND FOAMITE CORPORATIUN, A GURPOJRATJEUN @h NEW milk-TANK HIREPRUTECTIQN application tiled March 29, 1926. serial 1%. east-a.

This invention relates to foam type fire extinguishing systems asapplied to oil tank and other containers of volatile inflammable fluid.

it is customary, in such systems, to install on the tank wall a foamconduit, sometimes referred to as a mixing head, the purpose of which isto conduct and deliver foam from an exterior source or place of mixingand deposit it on the surface of the oil inside the to tank; Eiuchsystems are subject to failure or till itaulty action due to theentrance and gradual condensation in the head or foam conduit of oilyvapors producing a waxy deposit therein, or in the supply pipe or pipesconnected thereto, so that the system is likely to become clogged by thestoppage of its passages by such material or its initial operation isto. discharge such condensed or inflammable material on the tire which,t course, is not desirable. This invention provides an organiza tion ofteam conduit and vapor excluding means suited to prevent such intrusionof oily vapor and capable of use to this end in a most practical manner.lhe exclusion oi vapors is accomplished by the use of a suitablediaphragm normally subject to atmospheric or equal pressures on itsopposite sides but so constituted as to become ruptured or broken downor otherwise displacedby the mere pressure of the loam thereupon whenthe system is put in operation, and such dia-' phragm is so mounted andrelated to the other. parts as to be easily renewable, alter rupture,wholly irom the outside and not requiring the workmen to enter the oiltank beyond thrusting his arm through a suitable opening provided forthe purpose.

lin the drawings Fig. l is a view in perspective of an oil tanlrprovided with a fire extinguishing system embodying this invention. Fig.2 is a. tragmentary detail view upon a larger scale,

partly in elevation and partly in vertical sec-- tion, of the mixinghead and ass'o ciated parts oil the aforesaid system. Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line ill-dill of Fig. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, 1 is a container for inflammable fluid,shown as an oil tanlr with a rim 2 on which rests a root 3 having anopening tor the introduction of tire extinguishing foam, and at 4: l'have shown a mixing head or chamber to which foam orioam-producing'materials are supplied as by supply pipes 5 and 6 whichare extended from pumps A and B indicated conventionally as suitablesources for supplying foam-making solutions.

Valves are shown at 7 and 8 respectively to control the flow of thesolutions, and these valves and the pumps are installed at a suitabledistance from the oil tank to permit their operation safely in the eventof a fire in the tank, the conduits 5 and 6 being respectively shown asbroken away to indicate the fact that they are longer than wouldotherwise appear from the drawing.

The mixing head or chamber 4 may be of any suitable form and material.lit is illustrated as tapered in elevation, with the conduits 5 and 6entering oppositely near the bottom, where the head and its connectedconduits are carried by the supports 9.

The mouth or spout 10 of the mixing head projects downward through theroof, in position to discharge the team onto the oil in the tank and inaccordance with the invention a closure 11 is provided to prevent tankvapors vt'rcm entering the mixing head. In the embodiment illustrated inFigs. 1 to 8 this closure is termed of very weak sheet metal or foil ora sheetot asbestos or paper, as its purpose is only to prevent theintrusion of vapor into themixing chamber and system from the tank andit is not normally subject to static pressure. The closure is placedagainst the upper face of an inward flange on the spout ing normallyclosed by the hand-hole plate 15.

in operation the closure or diaphragm 11 is broken by the incoming foam.The apparatus is brou ht into action by the simple operation ofin1ecting the foam or pumping the component solutions through a pipe orpipes into the mixing chamber and at all other times merely atmosphericpressure exists in the mixing chamber or pipe system, this being animportant factor inasmuch as thereby a weaker closure can be used, soweak as to be certain to yield instantlyto the pressure of the foam whenthe apparatus is called into action.

I claim: 1. In oil tank fire protection systems, the

combination of the oil tank, afoam conduit secured to the wall thereoffor conductin foam from the outside to the oil inside o said tank, avapor-excluding diaphragm ex tending across the path of the foam throughsaid conduit at a point inside of the oil tank, said diaphragm beingnormally subject to equal pressures on its opposite sides but adapted tobreak down and permit foam flow merely by the pressure of thefoam'thereagainst, a seat provided on the conduit and with which saiddiaphragm makes a vaporproof joint, and an access opening and removablecover plate adjacent said seat and through which a person outside of thetank may adjust or renew said diaphragm.

2. In oil tank fire protection systems, the

combination of the oil tank, a foam conduit arranged to conduct foamfrom the outside of the tank onto the oil inside of it, a vaporexcludingdiaphragm extending across the path of the foam through said conduit, ata pgint inside of the oil tank, said diaphragm ing normally subject toequal pressures on its opposite sides but adapted to break down merelyby the pressure of the foam thereagainst, a seating flange provided onthe conduit, means for clamping said diaphragm thereon in a vapor-proofmanner, and an access opening and removable cover plate above saiddiaphra m and through which a person outside of the tank may manipulatesaid clamping means.

3. In oil tank fire protection systems, the combination of the oil tank,a foam conduit for conducting foam from the outside to the inside ofsaid tank, an inwardly projecting flan e provided on said conduit, avapor-exclu mg diaphragm supported on the side of said flange facingcounter to the foam-flow and extending entirely across the path 'of suchflow, said diaphragm being adapted to break down by the pressure of thefoam thereagainst, and an access-opening and removable cover plateprovided in the wall of said conduit on the pressure side of said diahragm and through which a person outside 0 the oil tank may renew saiddiaphragm if it has been displaced.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this I specification.

WILLIS D. WITTER.

